Center for the Study of Black Culture
The Center seeks to preserve and promote African American culture through:
- the development of innovative approaches to provide social activities for the students of Washington College
- assisting high school students become interested in attending a college or university
- to provide a physical space that reflects the perspectives, values and culture of Black students and people
- to provide cultural, intellectual, and emotional support to all Black students and the larger Black community
- to support and challenge students interested in the area of culturally centered leadership, and to be an integral part of the College's effort to provide multicultural education for the greater Chestertown community
History of the Center
The Center for the Study of Black Culture began as a dream for many minority students and as a result of a massive year and half, community wide effort it materialized in August of 1998. The Center for the Study of Black Culture has six student founders: Bennie F. Adams IV, Brock M. Hayslett, Eric B. Johnson, Jr., Christine R. Lincoln, Ricky L. Morgan and Colleena D. Wiseman. These people worked tremendously hard to realize this shared dream. Its first director was one of its founders Christine R. Lincoln, who graduated from Washington College in 2000 and is now a published writer.
Christine Lincoln '99
Penny Tilghman '01
Angela F. Crenshaw '04
Mark D. Stevens '07
Sonya Thomas '08
Amanda Garbart '08
Avanti Gabourel '14
Washington College History Project
The Washington College History Project was launched in 2020 to explore the history of Black culture in Kent County and at Washington College. The results include the Asterisk Initiative, which looks at the intersection of notable figures in the College's history with slavery in the burgeoning nation. The project also included the works and research below, enriching our understanding of Black culture on campus and in our region.
On the Black History of Kent County and Washington College
This collection of artwork is the culmination of a two-year project by history based artist Jason Patterson that began during his time as the Frederick Douglass visiting fellow at Washington College's Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. This project addresses the experiences of African American lives, starting in post-colonial Kent County, Maryland and at Washington College, the first college established in the United States after the new nation's founding.
Digital Exhibition in Kohl Gallery
Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at Washington College and in Kent County
Legacy Day celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans in Kent County. In the midst of the pandemic, organizers hosted a virtual celebration in August 2020 — a highlight of which was a community conversation organized by the College's Kohl Gallery and supported by a Chesapeake Heartland Staff/Faculty Fellowship. "Legacies of Education and the Black Experience at Washington College and Kent County" was offered in conjunction with artist Jason Patterson's upcoming October exhibition: "On the Black History of Washington College and Kent County."
Moderated by Reverend Monique Davis, Pastor of Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church in Worton, Maryland, the panel included local artist Jason Patterson and collaborator Jaelon Moaney, as well as special guests Jocelyn Elmore, Darius Johnson, and Carolyn K. Erwin—all graduates of Washington College. Patterson is the Starr Center's Frederick Douglass Visiting Fellow.
Legacies of Education and the Black Experience
Slavery and Freedom at Washington College
Since he Spring of 2018, Professor of History Carol Wilson has led teams of undergraduates investigating Washington College's connection to enslavement, sharing the stories of slaveholders associated with the institution as well as those of enslaved people and free blacks working on campus.
Ebony & Ivory Towers: An Oral History Project Exploring The Black Student Experience
at Washington College
For more than 60 years, Black students at this historically white college struggled to build a supportive community among people of color, and to press College leaders to create a campus culture that is safe and welcoming for all people, regardless of race or nationality. The Ebony & Ivory Towers Oral History Project reveals the history of black students organizing at Washington College. The project, sponsored by the Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, is the result of the work of a team of students—Ama Amponsah '22, Jada Aristilde '21, Jannice Hall '22, Katy Shenk '21, Dylan Snow '23, Mayowa Taiwo '24, Valery Tabraj '22, Tamia Williams '21, and Maegan White '22.